Young Predator
by MadnessJones
Summary: TF Prime: Ultra Magnus had trouble understanding the concept of how family factors into the Autobot chain of command. He will learn the hard way through an unexpected source: a newborn Predacon. Season 3 AU. No pairings.
1. An Unwelcome Visitor

_Author's Notes: Well folks, time for a new fic! This one is a story I've had in the back of my mind for a few months now, and rewatching the TF Prime episode "Evolution" made me want to do this story all over again. This is more or less a sparkling story, but with the twist of the sparkling being a vicious Predacon. Admittedly this chapter is short, but it's just a taste of the fic yet to come. I tried something a little different with the first half and wrote a good chunk of it from the newspark's POV. Ultra Magnus is a difficult character for me to write, so I think this will be an interesting challenge. Anyway, enough of me rambling. Please review if you like this idea, and thank you for taking the time to read Young Predator :)_

* * *

Chapter 1

An Unwelcome Visitor

 _Pain. Pain. Everything smells bad. Arms in pain. Helm in pain. Wet. Cold. More pain. Smells like acid. Sparks overhead. Watch out. Alone. No, not alone. Others. Dead. Everything dead. Everyone dead. Hurts to move. Don't move. Have to move. Hurts. Why? Where is life? Everything dead. Alone. So alone. Who did this? Why does it hurt? Why am I alone?_

The thoughts of the newly sparked beast were erratic, which seemed to be a fitting complement to its surroundings. There was glass, spilled chemicals, and the bodies of stillborn Predacons littering the ground. Overhead hung sparking wires and in the corner of the room was a computer terminal with a hole blasted through it. Most of this stuff didn't register with the newborn Predacon, however. All it knew was that it was in pain and its brethren were dead. It came into the world surrounded by death and devoid of anyone living to tell it why.

 _Have to keep moving. Get away from the death. Ow. Hurts. Don't want to move. Have to move. Must find other. Get away from dead others. Killer might come back. Don't want to die. Want to find life. Must search for life. Keep moving. Stop hurting. Must make body stop hurting. Move!_

Instinct was the only thing driving the Predacon at this point. It was barely sparked and had nothing else to go on. It didn't know its designation, it didn't know where it was, and it didn't understand why it was in constant pain. The pain came from the explosion that killed its fellow newsparks, but it didn't know that. All it knew was move or die. Its driving force was to find someone. Another being could tell it what it needed to know, and if the killer showed up the Predacon would kill it. Something deep inside told it that this was proper behavior for a Predacon.

 _Dark place. Lots of rocks. Not like death place. Just hollow place. Ow! Hurts in tank. Tank is empty. Must fill tank. Make hurting stop. Lost. Can't go back. No fuel. Lost and hungry. Keep moving. Wait! New smell. Getting closer. Something. Smell the ground. Yes, something. Keep going! Something! Something! Hurry! Something! Don't let it get away!_

The Predacon smelled something that wasn't like the scents of its dead brethren. This smell was unlike anything the Predacon had ever encountered in its few hours of life. It ran as it sniffed the ground of the cave it was traveling through. It stopped in its tracks when it came across a severed hand. The hand was flattened and metallic in structure, but it didn't look Predacon.

 _Life. Recent. Found it! Follow. Track. Pursue life. Find something more. Keep moving._

The Predacon followed the scent outside and looked up at the starry night sky and the crescent moon. The scent trail ended there, but the Predacon would not be deterred. He had the scent of the other, and he would follow it to the ends of the universe if he had to.

* * *

The Autobot base was quiet after their latest mission. It had been a week since Ultra Magnus had been forced to get his severed hand replaced with a new servo. The new one was so basic it barely qualified as a servo at all, and the claws made him think of Decepticon digits. Needless to say, Ultra Magnus was not happy with this new arrangement.

Ultra Magnus flexed his new clawed servo in and out to ensure Ratchet that it was still functioning properly. He still felt put-off that he couldn't have a real servo to replace the one he had lost in the fight with the Predacon, but he knew Ratchet was doing the best he could with their inferior materials.

"Hm, I need to loosen that bolt near your index digit," Ratchet muttered as he continued to work on the appendage.

Ultra Magnus nodded curtly and sat up straight while Ratchet worked. The past week had been an odd one for the Autobot SIC. They had uncovered a Predacon cloning facility and destroyed it, Ultra Magnus had lost his servo and the Forge of Solus Prime in the fight with Shockwave's Predacon after finding out it could speak and transform, and strangest of all Wheeljack was actually _nice_ to him.

Ultra Magnus tried to get along with the rest of Team Prime, but try as he might he just didn't understand how their group dynamic worked. Optimus Prime had told Ultra Magnus that they were no longer an army, but instead a family. That didn't make sense to the uptight commander. He tried looking up what family meant in a non-CNA related sense, but the reports he received were often conflicting.

In one article he read that non-traditional family units revolved around love, but love didn't seem like the most efficient way to run a military unit. Another said that families honored their elders above the rest of the clan. Did that make Ratchet the Prime? That hardly made sense either. Others said families involved sparklings. Did that mean they were only a family because of the human children? No, that couldn't be it. It wasn't like they had actually adopted the native sparklings. If so Ultra Magnus never would allow the one called Miko to be a Wrecker. That was not only neglectful but utterly stupid. No, none of these explanations made any sense to him.

Still, part of Ultra Magnus truly wanted to understand. Whenever Optimus entered the room there was no standing at attention or giving him the respect he deserved for his position as Prime. No, instead they flocked to him and greeted him with a warmth and familiarity that Ultra Magnus almost envied. Ultra Magnus was lucky to even get respect from his subordinates, and he certainly never received the warm greetings the Prime did. What was he missing?

His musings were interrupted when a proximity alarm rang out throughout Hangar E and the Autobots and humans rushed to see what was going on.

"What's happening, Ratchet?" Arcee asked tensely.

"Is it Decepticons?" Raf inquired as he nervously watched Ratchet scan the Cybertronian text.

"By the Allspark!" Ratchet exclaimed in alarm, "It's the Predacon! The beast is only minutes away from our location!"

"Then we need to mobilize," Optimus decided, "Hopefully it doesn't actually know the location of our base. If it doesn't, then we can lead it away. If it does, then we do not want to be here when it arrives. Beast hunters, move out!"

The Autobots and their human allies wasted no time in preparing to leave. Ultra Magnus caught Wheeljack staring at him with a grim expression on his scarred face plate. They both understood that this situation would be more complicated now that they knew the Predacon was sentient. They weren't just fighting a beast anymore; they were fighting an intelligent and extremely powerful predator.

Wheeljack transformed into car mode and sped off, and Ultra Magnus followed suit in his semi truck form. They followed behind the other Autobots as they drove away from the base in hopes of heading off the deadly hunter.

They were barely outside the military base when they saw the large black silhouette of the Predacon flying overhead in the clear blue sky. The Autobots heard the unmistakable roar of the Predacon, and they knew this would be a fight for their lives.

The human kids stepped aside while the Autobots prepared to fight. Sure enough, the Predacon swooped down toward them, but they noticed that something seemed off about the beast. Its body seemed... _longer_.

"Hey guys, is that the same dragon from before?" Miko asked in slight trepidation, "Because I'm pretty sure the last one didn't look like a giant snake!"

Miko's questions was soon answered when the beast touched down and they got a good look at it. It was black red and yellow just like the Predacon Shockwave had, but this one had a different body structure. Whereas the known Predacon had a body like a European dragon, this one looked like a cross between a Chinese dragon and a centipede! It had a large helm with razor sharp teeth, calculating yellow optics, many small limbs with large claws attached to them, and a long black body with yellow indicator lights on its sides to show when it was going to breathe fire.

The large beast roared loudly once again, and the Autobots immediately opened fire! The plasma bursts did nothing to the beast due to its tough metallic hide, and it slowly lurched closer to the group with its small legs.

"Children, fall back!" Optimus ordered over the sound of gunfire.

Jack and Raf ran right away, with Miko trailing behind. She stayed long enough to snap a picture of the new Predacon and then took off after the boys. The Predacon turned to the sound of the cellphone's camera, but the quickly turned its attention back to its target: Ultra Magnus.

Ultra Magnus noticed the beast's unwavering attention toward him, and decided to use this as an opportunity to create a distraction while the others regrouped. He started running out toward the desert surrounding the base, and sure enough the Predacon followed him. The Autobots shot at its back, but it didn't even seem to notice them.

Ultra Magnus ran for several meters before the Predacon decided to fly up and swoop down to tackle the blue and orange Autobot. The Predacon pounced on his back, and Ultra Magnus fell down hard enough to shake the ground! He knew this was probably the end, but he would go down fighting. He struggled to turn himself around so that he could aim his cannon at the creature. He managed to flip himself over onto his back with the long serpentine creature still on top of him, and when he did the Predacon moved to the side of him.

Ultra Magnus thought it was going to attack again when he stood up, but instead it did something completely unexpected...it nuzzled him!

The face of this beast was half the size of Ultra Magnus himself, so its pushing itself against him nearly caused the SIC to topple over. He regained his footing, and saw that the Predacon was bowing its helm at him in submission.

The other Autobots looked at this display in shock. No one opened fire again, for what little effect it had. It no longer seemed necessary. The Predacon didn't see Ultra Magnus as an enemy at all. It saw him as its leader.


	2. Abominus

_Author's Notes: As you can probably already tell from the name of the title, the Predacon's name is Abominus. Now, there is an explanation for why I picked this cannon name for the Predacon in my story. The original Predaking was a combiner Decepticon from the G1 Transformers cannon before he became the Predaking from TF Prime. I chose Abominus as his contemporary because in G1 Abominus was the name of another Decepticon combiner that was formed out of beast frame mechs like Predaking was. Also, as an aside, I prefer TF Prime Predaking to G1 simply because he has so much character, but admittedly both versions look pretty cool. Anyway, thank you for reading, and I hope you'll favorite, follow, and review. Have a great week :)_

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Chapter 2

Abominus

Getting the Predacon into Hangar E was easier than the Autobots thought it would be. The reptilian giant followed Ultra Magnus around like a duckling that had imprinted on its mother. Yes, getting him inside was easy, but getting him to stay still was another thing altogether.

"So what are we gonna call him?" Miko asked excitedly once they were back inside with the creature, "Oh, I know! Sparky! Oh no wait! Dr. Claws! Do you like that name, boy?"

"Miko, if the Predacon is truly a sentient being like Ultra Magnus and Wheeljack claim then its name will already be logged into its processor," Ratchet explained while setting up his medical equipment, "Can you keep it settled down, Ultra Magnus? I need to run a few diagnostic scans on the beast and it won't stop fidgeting!"

"Why do you assume I will have any more success calming him than any of you?" Ultra Magnus asked in a feeble effort to not be saddled with the beast's care.

"Duh! Because he likes you!" Miko spoke up before Ratchet could, and Ratchet walked away with the nervous Predacon reluctantly following him, "I am so jealous of you right now, Magnus!" Miko gushed, "You get a pet dragon! How cool is that?"

"The Predacon is not a pet, soldier," Ultra Magnus pointed out, "As a newspark it has limited processing capability, but soon it will learn to transform and will then be able to comprehend its situation. We do not yet know, however, where instinct ends and intelligence begins. For all we know the Predacon could grow to be a savage and deadly threat to Team Prime."

"Um, Ultra Magnus...sir?" Jack added the _sir_ when Ultra Magnus glared at him, "Do you think we should be calling him _it_? I mean, he's sentient, right? So maybe he wouldn't like being called an it. Just saying."

"You make a valid point, soldier," Ultra Magnus replied agreeably, "From now on we should speak of and to the Predacon as we would any other member of Team Prime."

"You wanna talk to him like everybody else?" Smokescreen asked as he approached the others from across the room, "But he's a sparkling, sir. He doesn't understand us yet."

"Not yet, but he will given time," Ultra Magnus insisted, "I refuse to talk down to one of our troops, even if he is a beast. I only hope the Predacon will indeed choose to stay with us, as we could use every advantage against the Decepticons we can get."

The Predacon, meanwhile, had found a spot near Ratchet's equipment and curled himself up like a cobra; his large helm poking out from his swirling body to observe everything Ratchet did. Ratchet ran several scans over the beast, and in turn the beast watched the lights of the scanner with fascination. At one point the Predacon tried batting at the green light with one of his front claws, and Ratchet almost found himself smiling at the oversized lizard-bot's antics.

When Ratchet took a sample of the Predacon's nearly indestructible armor, however, the Predacon howled in pain; an echoing noise that got everyone's attention.

"Hey Ratchet, stop hurting Dr. Claws!" Miko snapped at the old medic.

"His name isn't Dr. Claws!" Ratchet snapped back.

"Did the scan tell you what his name actually is then?" Arcee asked.

"Hm...According to this, his name is logged in as Abominus," Ratchet read off, "Gee, thanks _a lot_ , Shockwave!" He added sarcastically.

"Abominus? That sounds kind of evil," Raf pointed out with trepidation.

"Like I said, the name was probably Shockwave's doing," Ratchet reiterated, "The poor brute came into this world as nothing but a weapon. Hopefully he can be more than that though."

"I must admit," Optimus Prime spoke up for the first time in several minutes, "That I am excited to learn more about our new houseguest. Predacons went extinct long before any live specimens could be studied. While fossil records have given us some information, there is still so much we do not know about our ancient predecessors. Until now we didn't even realize they were a sentient race. Abominus could teach us much about the social behavior and higher learning capabilities of Predacons. I only hope we will be able to provide a good living space for our new friend."

Abominus watched their exchange with a sort of lazy curiosity. He had finally settled down once Ratchet left him alone, and his pack leader didn't seem at all uncomfortable here, so it coudln't be too bad. He didn't know what they were talking about though. He only knew that his body still hurt, but his mind was not attacking him anymore. He found his other, his leader, and that was enough to tell him that soon the pain would be gone.

"By the Allspark!" Ratchet suddenly exclaimed as he read over the readings.

"What is it, Ratchet?" Optimus asked worriedly.

"According to Abominus' fuel gauge, he hasn't been given energon since he onlined!" Ratchet exclaimed in shock, "We have to get energon into his systems, now!"

"On it!" Smokescreen shouted even as he was running to the supply room.

Abominus perked up when he saw the blue and yellow other run away. Was he being chased? Was this other part of his pack? Should he attack the thing that scared his pack brother? Would his leader be happy or be offended by that? Not seeing the threat, Abominus decided he was tired and in pain so it was best to settle back down and rest.

A minute later Smokescreen returned with a cube of glowing blue energon.

"I hope this is big enough for him," Smokescreen commented as he got closer to the beast, "I just hope he drinks this instead of biting my head off."

Abominus began to sniff the air when something new made itself known to him. His tanks churned with anticipation, and he saw that the pack member was carrying fuel. He wanted to grab it all for himself, but his leader was watching, so it was best if he just sat back and observed.

Smokescreen looked up warily at the big long Predacon and set down the cube in front of his coiled body. The Predacon surprisingly waited for Smokescreen to back away before leaning over to inspect the cube. Ultra Magnus was impressed by the beast's level of self control.

The Predacon bent down, and everyone expected him to start drinking the nutritious liquid fuel, but instead the beast opened his mouth and swallowed the cube whole! They could both see and hear the loud crunching noises of the Predacon chewing on the glass that was once the cube, thin traces of blue running down his mouth, and Ultra Magnus facepalmed in a longsuffering fashion.

"No, no! The glass will get in your tank!" Ratchet yelled up at the beast as if he could understand him, and then turning to Ultra Magnus he said, "I think you're going to need to teach him how to eat properly."

"Noted," Ultra Magnus replied flatly.

As Ultra Magnus stared up at Abominus' huge jaw working its way around the shards of glass, he realized that he had unwittingly volunteered to become the legal guardian of a monster of Frankenstein-like proportions.

* * *

As it turned out, showing Abominus how to properly consume energon wasn't enough to deter his increasingly bizarre eating habits. Not only did Abominus eat the glass cubes that held the energon, but he would also eat random things like metal from around the base, asphalt, and even a helicopter! This last part concerned the team, because for all Abominus knew that helicopter could've been alive, but that didn't seem to bother the hungry Predacon.

Ultra Magnus wasn't exactly alone in tending to his new cyber dragon, but unfortunately for him help came in the form of Wheeljack, Bulkhead, and Miko. The Wreckers were very enthusiastic about having an ancient beast on the team as the latest 'Con crusher, but when it came to training Abominus they weren't exactly the best at it.

Surprisingly, the problem was that these three were spoiling the Predacon. Ultra Magnus tried to instill strict discipline in his training regimen, but at every turn he was thwarted by the Wreckers. Ultra Magnus insisted the Predacon stay inside, but Wheeljack took him out to fly around and goof on the human soldiers. Ultra Magnus insisted the Predacon not be fed unless he complied with orders, but Bulkhead and Miko kept sneaking him energon. Miko even gave him a boxy TV just to see if he'd eat it, which of course he did. Abominus seemed both willing and capable of eating anything that happened to be nearby, and Ultra Magnus suspected his early starvation had somehow caused this strange idiosyncrasy.

Getting their new savage sparkling to comply with orders was also a real crap shoot. Sometimes he obeyed them like a sweet little lamb, while other times he would defy the Autobots and throw what Ultra Magnus could only describe as temper tantrums. One time he nearly bit Bumblebee! The worst of it though, were the times when Abominus decided he wanted to run.

That morning Ultra Magnus and Wheeljack were washing Abominus with warm soapy water since he was too big to fit in the recently installed wash racks. Optimus Prime barely fit, and Abominus was actually bigger than Optimus when his entire mass was taken into consideration. Not that it mattered to Abomius, however, since he seemed to enjoy the attention he was getting from Ultra Magnus and Wheeljack. The Predacon rumbled in contentment and relaxed as he was scrubbed down, and Ultra Magnus allowed himself to feel satisfied that for once things were going well with his new charge.

Ratchet came into the main area holding a toolkit full of supplies for checking up on his newest patient, and Ultra Magnus went to talk to the old medic while Wheeljack continued to rinse Abominus down with warm water.

"How are his scans looking so far, Doctor?" Ultra Magnus asked when he got close enough to do so.

"Over the past couple weeks he seems to be recovering nicely from his malnutrition," Ratchet reported, "However, I noticed that his CNA configuration puts him at high risk for rust infection. I'm going to need to inoculate him for cosmic rust."

"Of course, Doctor," Ultra Magnus nodded seriously, "Now would probably be a good time since Abominus is preoccupied with his bath."

Ratchet and Ultra Magnus approached the resting giant, and his yellow optics looked lazily at his pack leader. His gaze shifted to a more focused one, however, once he saw the large needle the white and orange pack member was carrying that contained a mysterious silver fluid sloshing around inside. They were both getting closer to him, and they were talking quietly. Abominus tried to figure out what they were saying, but his grasp on language wasn't very strong yet. Something deep inside told him however that they were talking about him. Yes, that spike was meant for _him_.

Quick as a flash, Abominus slithered away from Wheeljack's sponge and the duo with the needle. Wheeljack stumbled forward in confusion, and it took the Autobots a second to realize Abominus was running toward the closed hangar door!

Abominus clawed at the thin metal with his claws, but rather than opening the door it just caused claw marks to form in the metal. He could see sunlight through the cracks his claws had created, and he knew he had to get out if he was going to escape the sharp pointy thing. He didn't know why he was being punished, but he wasn't going to let them get him!

Since claws didn't work, Abominus started ramming his helm against the door as hard as he could. After four rapid strikes, the door broke in the middle. Abominus started frantically clawing at the opening to make it big enough to slip through, but before he could get out he felt a prick against his side. He looked, and the white and orange pack member was retracting the spike, now empty of its fluid, and his pack leader was looking at him with a stern expression. Abominus' face fell, and he realized he had shamed his pack leader by acting cowardly.

"Rho eklisibid dibargaraxed, abonis," Abominus heard his pack leader say, "You frogort semi ne it ratact nino. Sas wawa so bad, was it?"

Abominus still didn't understand everything, but he got the impression that his pack leader wasn't angry with him. Rather, it seemed like he was both trying to instruct and comfort Abominus. The young Predacon bowed his helm submissively, and the pack leader stroked his muzzle with his good servo in a way that was both firm yet gentle. When the pack leader turned around Abominus looked back at the door, and the damage he had done to their den, and he knew with even greater certainty that he screwed up. He only hoped he would soon figure out exactly what his pack wanted from him, and why he couldn't yet transform like them.


	3. Instincts

_Author's Notes: Sorry this update took so long, everyone. I really meant to have this out two weeks ago, but I've been pulled in so many directions I need a list just to remember which fanfics I've even published. I'm not going to let this fic die though. It's a good idea, and you guys have warmly supported it. This chapter is short but significant for the story, and I hope you all enjoy it. Please review, favorite, and follow to see more and I'll try to update this fic again soon :)_

* * *

Chapter 3

Instincts

As the cycles slowly passed Abominus felt that he was gaining a better grasp on how the world worked. His pack leader was not _the_ pack leader, but rather a powerful beta member. The true pack leader seemed to be the large flying red and blue other. So, if his leader wasn't leader, then what was he? Questions like these would burn inside Abominus in between food and recharge.

He also noticed that his pack members had many differences from him as well as each other. Four pack members were tiny and made of meat and fluids, while eight of his pack members were larger than the other four and made of metal like he was. Every member shared one thing in common with each other that he lacked, however; they were all bipedal. He wanted to walk on only two legs as well, and there was a piece of him that told him he could. He was just missing something.

The blue and pink other returned home after being away for a long time. Abominus still had trouble reading his chronometer, so all he knew was that it felt like she had been gone for three or four forevers. She transformed from her wheeled self into her walking self, and that was when it finally clicked for Abominus.

 _Transformation_.

That was how he was supposed to walk like everyone else! He needed to learn how to transform.

"Ersi!" The tall male flesh other called out to the blue and pink other.

"Ey, Jak," The blue other called back to the smaller pack member, "Coolesi e glob desecahn gala. Okaa ju heh."

Abominus listened intently to them even though he couldn't understand yet what they were saying. He knew deep inside that he would learn how to speak like them if he just listened long enough. He already figured out that the little pack member was called _Jak_. Jak was very calm and the red and blue pack leader seemed to like him. He was also very close to the blue and pink pack member.

"No way!" Jak exclaimed, and Abominus tried to remember if that was a good phrase or a bad one, "Thks, Ersi!"

Ersi...Arsi...that was probably the other's name. She was Arsi. Abominus was proud of himself for having figured it out, but he needed a way to see if his language skills were truly improving. He needed a name he was absolutely certain about.

He turned at the sound of pede steps, and saw that his leader, as well as the three givers of food and fun were approaching. Okay, he had to think. What did they call each other? How could he prove that he knew what he was doing?

"Abominus, ertrio do stele nao. Weeljak isigan yu nao," His leader spoke to him, and he realized that he understood his own name as well as that of the white and grey other.

This was his chance!

* * *

Ratchet had insisted that they re-scan Abominus' spark and fuel pump to ensure that none of the garbage he had eaten lately was destroying his fuel lines. Ultra Magnus spoke softly and calmly to Abominus so that Wheeljack could take the scans without the Predacon freaking out on them. Bulkhead and Miko had followed them because they wanted to spend more time with Abominus, but Ultra Magnus really wished he didn't have to worry about them underfoot while he and Wheeljack were working. Miko snapping pictures of the Predacon was certainly not helping anyone complete their task.

Wheeljack scanned the spark, and they noticed that Abominus was growling in a low rumble. Ultra Magnus worried that might be the precursor to an attack, so he grabbed the creature's snout and began to pet him to keep him calm. Normally that worked, but this time Abominus jerked his nose away and started to growl louder.

"Uh oh, is he gonna go all Hulk on us again?" Miko asked bluntly.

" _Whee_!" Abominus roared.

"Hey, that's the sound you make when we go over 100 MPH," Bulkhead commented to Miko.

"Whee...jak!" Abominus drew out the first sound and barely barked the second syllable.

Everyone looked up at the dragon-bot in surprise, and Wheeljack stopped his scans to run over to face the Predacon.

"What did you say?" Wheeljack asked eagerly.

"Wheejak!" Abominus tried again, this time more confidently now that he had an audience.

"Whoa, Wheeljack! You're his first word!" Miko exclaimed in shock, " _Woohoo_! Abominus can talk!"

"Cool," Wheeljack commented, "Uh, sorry it wasn't you Ultra Magnus, but maybe you'll be his second word."

"I am surprised he is showing signs of speech so early," Ultra Magnus commented without acknowledging Wheeljack's awkward apology, "Abominus, can you say anything else? Do you know my designation?"

"You can't ask him like that, dude!" Miko chided, "He's a baby! Here, I'll show you."

Miko then ran closer to Abominus until the creature's yellow optics were staring down at her; his oversized snout exhaling streams of hot air right in her face.

"Can you say _Miko_? Come on Bom Bom, you can do it!" Miko cooed at Abominus in baby talk, "Say Miko. Miiikooo. Miko."

"Eeee-kah," Abominus tried to repeat the word, but without success.

"Look guys! He said it!" Miko cheered happily.

"That didn't sound like Miko to me," Bulkhead remarked as he scratched his helm in confusion.

"Is this really how humans speak to their sparklings?" Ultra Magnus asked critically.

"Babies need exaggerated mouth movements to understand the words, and also baby talk makes them feel safe," Miko explained, "I learned it from a doctor on daytime TV."

"Eeeekoo," Abominus rumbled again, this time almost getting it right.

"You did it again, boy!" Miko jumped up and down excitedly, "Keep this up and you'll be talking for real in no time."

"He really should know my designation," Ultra Magnus pointed out; secretly feeling left out but unwilling to express such an emotion.

"You're absolutely right," Miko nodded, and then turned back to Abominus, "Okay Bom Bom, can you say _Daddy_? Daaa deee. Daddy! You can say it, come on! _Daddy_."

"That is not my designation," Ultra Magnus frowned and crossed his arms over his chassis.

"Fine then, _Father_ ," Miko corrected, and Ultra Magnus rubbed the space between his optics in exasperation, "Can you say Father? Faaather. Father. That's him. Can you say _Father_?"

"This is so humiliating," Ultra Magnus muttered irritably.

" _Fraa_!" Abominus roared.

"Look, he's trying!" Miko exclaimed as she bounced up and down and pointed to Abominus, "Do it again, Bom Bom! Say Father!"

"Must you call him Bom Bom?" Ultra Magnus huffed.

"Faaa...Fathra. Farthrea. Father," Abominus finally said it correctly, "Father! Father! Wheejak! Father! Eeko! Father!"

Miko laughed jubilantly and jumped up and down, and Wheeljack slapped the Predacon on the back to congratulate him. Ultra Magnus wasn't exactly thrilled about being called 'father' by a Predacon, but he understood that it probably was easier for the sparkling to say than _Ultra Magnus_. He would have preferred _sir_ , but it seemed that the metaphorical genie was already out of the bottle.

* * *

The next cycle Abominus curled up under an overhang in a different building than where his pack resided. He wanted some time alone to work on his words. His pack members, especially the tiny ones, seemed really happy that he was talking. It was nice to know they wanted to include him in their secret language. He wondered if they knew he looked different than them. Maybe they never noticed, or maybe they just didn't care. Whatever the reason, he was grateful that they accepted him without judgment even though he had more than two legs.

He wished he could work on transformation, but he didn't know how. He hoped his transformed self looked like them. Their alt modes looked nothing like his, and it wasn't lost on him that he was different. Maybe he wouldn't be different once he was a two-legger like them. Maybe his helm wouldn't be so big then either.

He liked sitting in this empty warehouse because he could peek out from the door and see the little others in motion. They weren't from the pack since they didn't smell like his others, but they posed no threat either, so he was content to watch them march in formation.

Abominus felt strange about his current lifestyle. For his entire short life he had felt the need to search for threats and kill them on behalf of his pack, but he had never actually seen a threat before. Was he doing his job correctly? Was he supposed to hunt for threats, or did he have another destiny? Why was he here?

A white car pulled up next to the pack's den, and Abominus was on alert. Was it a threat? Was it alive? Was it food? Then he saw a small other get out of the car and head for the den. _No_! No strangers were allowed in the den! Abominus must neutralize the threat!

He bolted out of his hiding place and skittered toward the new small other; his tiny clawed legs working as fast as they could. Jack was walking outside right toward it. _No_! The stranger might hurt Jack! Kill the stranger before it kills Jack!

"Hey Mom," Jack greeted his mother as she approached to hug him.

"Jack! I'm so glad to see you!" June gushed after a week of not being allowed to come to the hangar to see her son, "Bill Fowler said you guys have a new 'Bot on your team."

"Well, he's not exactly a- _Look out!_ " Jack suddenly screamed as he pushed his mom to the ground.

Abominus' claw just barely missed impaling June. Jack stayed on top of her; ready to die if the Predacon decided to eat one of them. The Predacon turned back at them, flared out his metallic scaly head fins, and growled low.

"Jack, what _is_ that thing?" June asked panickedly.

"That's Abominus, the Predacon," Jack told her as he stared back at the beast.

"Predacon? Does that mean Megatron found us?" June asked; dread filling her heart.

"No, not _that_ Predacon," Jack clarified, "This one's on our side...I hope. Ultra Magnus! Help!"

Abominus meanwhile was studying the scene. Jack had prevented him from killing the stranger. Did Jack not understand his life was in danger? Then Abominus sniffed the air, and realized his horrible mistake. This other smelled like Jack. She was a pack member. Abominus had nearly killed a pack member! Father would scrap him for sure.

Ultra Magnus and Smokescreen ran outside when they heard Jack screaming for help. When they got out there they saw the Predacon looming over the humans as they lay flat on the pavement in fear.

"What happened?" Ultra Magnus asked.

"Abominus tried to kill my mom!" Jack shouted accusingly, "What's wrong with him!?"

"Hm...I am not sure," Ultra Magnus replied as he stared up at the beast with a critical optic, "Abominus, sit."

Abominus did as he was told; knowing that Father was not pleased with him. He only hoped he would not be thrown out of the pack for this.

"Why do you have a dragon, Ultra Magnus?" June asked once she felt safe enough to stand up.

"It's a long story," Ultra Magnus replied wearily, "The Predacon is quite young and does not yet understand its boundaries. Introducing him to new people will require a great deal of forethought in the future."

"Have you tried a leash?" Jack grumbled as he dusted himself off.

"You know as well as I that Abominus is not an animal," Ultra Magnus reminded Jack, "He may be powerful, but he is still what your kind would call an infant. He doesn't know any better. Nonetheless, he must be taught that such behavior is unacceptable. Abominus, I am confining you to...hm...he doesn't have quarters yet."

"You could confine him to the main room," Smokescreen shrugged.

"He is used to staying there anyway," Ultra Magnus replied tiredly, "Alright then. Abominus, I am restricting you to half rations. If I catch you eating more than your fair share I will be forced to suspend you in stasis lock until more permanent arrangements can be made. You are dismissed, soldier."

Abominus didn't understand everything Father had said, but he understood that he was being told to get out of Father's sight. He only hoped it was temporary. He was led back into the hangar by the blue and yellow other, so he was at least grateful to not be banished from the pack. Still, he had a feeling that this incident wasn't over, and the icy glare Father gave him only solidified that thought.


	4. Distrust

_Author's Notes: I'm sorry it took me so long to post this new chapter of "Young Predator". I actually finished writing two thirds of this chapter months ago, but for whatever reason I forgot to finish it until now. I really do need to get it in gear though when it comes to this story since so many of you like it and the idea is both cute and cool. That's a hard balance, honestly. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this latest chapter, and hopefully you'll leave a review as well :)_

* * *

Chapter 4

Distrust

Abominus was depressed as he stared down at his reduced amount of energon. He knew this was supposed to be his punishment for nearly killing the unknown pack member, but that wasn't what was bothering Abominus. No, he knew he needed to be punished for his action, so that wasn't the problem. The problem was the way the others were looking at him.

The pack members, especially the small organic ones, eyed him with suspicion and accusation. The small fun bringer, Miko, was no longer allowed near him. The big green pack member would keep her away. He hadn't even been given the chance to know the new pack member, and that didn't seem likely to happen anytime soon. For the time being, Abominus was being given plenty of space.

The dragon sighed when he saw that the red and orange pack member was coming toward him with more tools. This one often poked him, shone lights on him that tingled, and snapped at every other member of the pack. Abominus had tried to figure out his designation, but so far all he could figure out was RA followed by a hissing sound.

"Goo mori, Abominus," Ra-hiss greeted him offhandedly while continuing to look down at his flat slab with glyphs on it, "Les get you shhik ao."

Abominus was trying with all his processor's might to understand them. It was so frustrating that he didn't know more than he did. He wanted so badly to communicate with them so he could finally receive answers to life's greatest questions. Questions like why he looked so different than them, what was his purpose in life, and were there some things in the world that weren't edible?

Not knowing what else to ask, he simply asked the one thing he knew he could.

"Father?" Abominus asked while the painful pack member scanned him again.

"Ultra Magnus hiss bee see rye nao," Ra...click? replied, "Hold still."

Even Abominus knew what that meant. It meant more fluid was going to be taken out of him or some scales would get scraped off or something. Sure enough, Rachit used his large servo scalpel to scrape a thin layer of metal off one of his horns. Abominus snorted in discontent but allowed the pack member to do whatever it was he was doing. Something told Abominus that the purpose of these painful procedures wasn't to be cruel, but he still didn't know what they were for.

"Ra..." Abominus tried to say, but couldn't remember the rest of the name.

"Ratchet," Ratchet supplemented; picking up that Abominus was trying to say his name.

Abominus didn't quite catch that, so he tried again.

"Raaa!" Abominus shouted in frustration.

"Don't strain yourself," Ratchet ordered, but Abominus didn't understand, "Ratchet. How did Miko say it? _Raaacheet_. _Ratchet_."

"Raa...ch't," Abominus tried, but he had trouble moving his tongue to his long sharp teeth correctly, "Ra-ch't. Rach't. Ratchet. Ratchet. Ra-chet. Ratchet."

Abominus continued to practice while Ratchet continued to document CNA samples from the Predacon. Optimus had told them under no uncertain terms that they needed to catalogue as much as possible about Abominus, not only for the immediate care of their newest member but also for the cultural significance this information would hold to future Cybertronians. Abominus and the Decepticons' Predacon were the last two of their kind, so information about them was precious.

Ratchet turned to go, but he was stopped by a clawed servo grabbing his arm.

"Do you need something, Abominus?" Ratchet asked impatiently; wanting to get the samples into the computer as quickly as possible.

"Miko..." Abominus replied in a pitiful keen, "Wheejack. Bullhah."

"Bullhah? Oh, you mean _Bulkhead_ ," Ratchet chuckled after a few seconds to think about it, "What? You want to see them?"

Abominus' face beamed, knowing what Ratchet had said and hoping the pain bringer could make this possible for him.

"I don't know. Jack was pretty unnerved when you attacked June yesterday," Ratchet shook his helm and sighed; wondering how much of what he was saying was even getting through, "I don't blame them. It was a grim reminder of just how dangerous you really are. I know I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of an attack like that. You need to learn to control yourself. You can't attack humans, understand? _No attacking humans_."

Abominus tilted his helm in concentration. He wanted to understand, he really did, but he couldn't. Ratchet was speaking in soft complicated tones, and Abominus didn't understand those yet. He heard the name _Jack_ , and he heard the word _don't_. Did that mean he was never allowed to see Jack again? That was distressing, but Abominus was really worried about whether or not he would get to see Miko, Bulkhead, and Wheeljack ever again. They snuck him outside. They played music and gave him food. They cleaned him. They loved him. Didn't they?

" _Wheeljack_!" Abominus screamed desperately and articulately, causing Ratchet to flinch away from the roaring beast.

Wheeljack, hearing his name being called but not knowing by who, ran into the main hangar where Ratchet and Abominus were.

"You called, Doc?" Wheeljack asked hurriedly; thinking there was a problem with the Predacon.

"No, I-" Ratchet tried to explain.

Before Ratchet could finish his sentence, however, Abominus had tackled Wheeljack and nudged his huge face into the former Wrecker's armor. Wheeljack struggled to get up, but Abominus was just too heavy for him to lift.

"Wheeljack!" Abominus cried out joyfully as he stepped back to get a good look at his pack member.

"That...was you?" Wheeljack asked; dumbfounded, "But...how? Why?"

"Ratchet," Abominus replied curtly as he pointed an accusing claw at the medic, "Miko! Jack! Jack don't!"

"Ratchet, why is he so upset?" Wheeljack asked, "Does he wanna see the kids?"

"We can't let him do that just yet," Ratchet insisted, "It's only been a day since he went after June. He might hurt the children."

"I don't think he will," Wheeljack reasoned, "Abominus had never met June. He probably thought he was doing the right thing by guarding our territory. He's gonna be smart someday, but right now he's going off instinct alone. I think we all know what it's like to be gun shy, given the war we've survived. Let me bring the kids, and if he looks like he's gonna attack, I'll get them out of here. Okay?"

"Wheeljack, you can't just-!" Ratchet started to protest, but between Wheeljack's confident smirk and Abominus' pleading yellow optics, but old medic gave up, "Alright fine," Ratchet sighed, "But I'm staying here too. Just to make sure the children have time to get away if something goes wrong."

"You got it, Doc," Wheeljack replied with a thumbs up, "You hear that, boy? Miko's coming back!"

Wheeljack was rewarded by a crushing hug from the Predacon for his happy announcement. Wheeljack pulled away, and was only barely able to get out of the death grip his surrogate nephew had put him in. Wheeljack was sure that the sparkling Predacon wouldn't hurt the kids on purpose, but he also knew the beast didn't know his own strength yet, so deep down he did agree with Ratchet that the Predacon should be watched. Still, he didn't want to alienate the kids from their new comrade, or vice versa.

* * *

A couple days passed after reintroducing the kids to Abominus. In that time he had learned more names, including Raf, Bulkhead, Arcee, Bee, and Prime. He couldn't say Bumblebee or Optimus yet, but he was still trying. Miko was especially happy to get to hang out with Bom Bom again, since she never believed the Predacon would hurt her.

At the moment Abominus was doing his favorite thing in the world; eating. This time he was eating a few human-sized folding chairs he found in a back room. He liked these little candy bits that would sometimes get stuck between his teeth, and he was blissfully unaware that humans frequently planted their butts on these things.

He was roused from his metallic meal time when he heard a loud voice shout "Prime!"

Abominus perked up when he heard that sound, because he remembered who that demanding voice belonged to. It was the brown and grey organic other! He hadn't seen this pack member in days, and he wanted to learn his name. He skittered into the main room so he could see his formerly missing pack member.

"Agent Fowler, I do not understand what this means," Optimus told Agent Fowler as they looked at a chart together on the computer.

"It means radiation, as well as other readings our systems can't even comprehend," Fowler explained as he pointed to a spot on a map, "Our best guess is Decepticons. We still don't know why they're so far north, but if we can- Hey! Sweet Lady Liberty!"

Optimus turned to see why Fowler was shouting, and he saw that Abominus had the federal agent dangling up in the air; hanging onto the man's jacket collar with his teeth. Fowler was struggling to get down, until he realized he was 15 feet in the air hanging on by literal threads.

"Prime! Tell your watchdog to put me down this instant!" Fowler demanded hotly as he tried not to move too much so as to not risk falling.

"Abominus, put Agent Fowler down," Optimus ordered as he pointed to the catwalk where Fowler had been.

Abominus complied and gently placed the pack member back where he found him. He wanted to know the name of the loud pack member, but he didn't know how to ask.

"Whew! Prime, I don't think I'll ever get used to that thing," Fowler said breathlessly as he adjusted the collar of his jacket, "Are you sure ol' lizard breath won't turn on us? As I recall last time I was here he ate the back end of my car."

"Abominus is young, but he is learning," Optimus reassured the federal agent, "He is learning how to say the names of the various members of Team Prime, as well as a few other words."

"He can talk?" Fowler asked in disbelief, "Also, I don't know if I've mentioned this, but _Abominus_ ain't exactly a friendly name to give to your new team mascot."

"Prime!" Abominus shouted the way Fowler would; causing Fowler to jump up in shock and look bug-eyed back at the Predacon.

Abominus pointed to Agent Fowler and looked at Optimus; a question obviously trapped in his processor.

" _Fowler_ ," Optimus said slowly, causing Agent Fowler to give the Autobot leader a quizzical look, "Fow-ler. Fowler. Can you say _Fowler_?"

"Rawrow," Abominus tried to say the new word, but he was having trouble with his lip movements, "Howrol. Roller."

"Fowler," Optimus repeated encouragingly.

"F-F-Fowlo. Fowlor. Fowler," Abominus practiced until he got it right, and then continued to say it over and over again.

"Well I'll be dipped in apple pie," Fowler shook his head as he looked up at the dragon, "He _can_ talk. Good job, Abominus. Hopefully you'll help us turn the tide against Megatron."

Optimus didn't say anything about the comment, but it did bring up a worrying aspect about Abominus' life with the Autobots. Soon he would have to fight Decepticons for the first time, and he might even have to fight the older Predacon. Abominus was still so young and innocent. Would fighting damage him psychologically? Also, would he remain loyal when faced with a fellow Predacon as an opponent? These questions worried the Prime, but he knew there was no avoiding it. Abominus, like Bumblebee and Smokescreen before him, was a sparkling born in a time of war.

* * *

Predaking was growing more and more restless by the day. Three weeks! It had been three weeks since the Autobots had destroyed Shockwave's underground lab and murdered his brethren. Three weeks since Optimus Prime and his goons had doomed his species to extinction. Three weeks was too long to wait for revenge, and if it weren't for Megatron's insistence on waiting for the right moment to strike Predaking would have already destroyed them all. The Autobots would suffer, Predaking would see to that.

He was with Starscream and several Vehicons in the Arctic Circle searching for the missing ingredients for the synth en formula Shockwave was attempting to perfect. Shockwave's backup lab in this area had exploded and scattered his equipment hither and yon, which made the search all the more difficult. They needed to find those chemicals, however. They needed synth en in order to make the Cybermatter that would bring their planet back to life.

"Can't you goons move any faster!?" Starscream also made the search more difficult for Predaking, since his voice was like listening to claws scrape across a rock, "I can't believe Megatron sent me out here with you stooges. My struts are freezing! If I was in command I would never have to stand out in the cold like this!"

Predaking growled but kept any snide comments to himself. He hated that seeker for the way he treated everyone around him, and the way he used to abuse Predaking. Still, he didn't hate Starscream nearly as much as he hated the Autobots. An entire race doomed to extinction. Predaking was destined to remain the last of his kind, and it was all thanks to those sparkless Autobots.

He still recalled the faces of those who had blown up the lab. One was a white and silver mech with gaudy red and green stripes, while another was a large blue and orange 'Bot with a commanding presence. These two would suffer the most if Predaking was ever given a free moment with them. They would not get away with committing genocide against his people.

"Found it!" A Vehicon called out as he held up a vial of grey fluid, "This was a vital ingredient."

"Perfect, now place it carefully in the crate," Starscream ordered, "Predaking, have you located the scent of the refined steminol yet?"

Steminol was a Cybertronian ingredient that was necessary for making the synth en, and it was difficult to find anymore since few planets could produce such a thing. Predaking continued to sniff the frozen ground as he searched for the substance that would make the synth en that would revive Cybertron. Megatron's plans to revive their fallen world made the Decepticon leader a hero to Predaking, but that feeling was still clouded by the knowledge that he would be the only Predacon to ever see their renewed home world.

He searched for 10 minutes more before he found a container of steminol that hadn't been broken during the fight and the self-destruct sequence. He dug it up and placed it in the crate, not even bothering to hand it to Starscream lest the clumsy seeker break it or something.

Predaking wished he could have worked with Shockwave instead of Starscream. He knew Shockwave was competent. Pit, Shockwave made him and the other Predacons that were killed. He was a genius, and the closest thing Predaking had to a father. Predaking trusted that cyclops with his life. Love was never part of the equation that was their relationship, but it didn't have to be as far as Predaking was concerned. Trust was more important to him than anything, even love.

He looked out over the frozen tundra as Starscream and the workers assembled the materials required for Shockwave's research. Everything was coming together, and all he needed to complete his picture of perfect beauty was the anguished screams of his Autobot enemies.

 _Soon Autobots_... Predaking thought with a vengeful spark. _Soon you will be forced to witness as the mighty Decepticons become heroes and you become hunted prey. I look forward to that day, I really do_...


	5. Cold Comfort

_Author's Notes: I don't have much to say this time, except now we're into a phase of the story where Abominus gets to do more than sit around and wait. Hooray! Sorry this fic takes so long with each new update. I try to be fair and update all of my stories in a way that doesn't give too much attention to just one, but that also means longer wait times on each story update. I thank you for your patience, and I hope you enjoy this chapter of "Young Predator" :)_

* * *

Chapter 5

Cold Comfort

Abominus was a quicker learner than the Autobots originally thought he would be, and he continued to exceed all expectations. Thanks to training from Ultra Magnus, Abominus was now talking in juvenile sentences. With his new gift of speech however came a flurry of questions from the Predacon sparkling. 'Why Ratchet sting?' 'Where Father?' 'Not food?' These were just a few of the many questions the Autobots had to deal with every day.

June had also agreed to come back to base to be formally introduced to the newest addition to Team Prime. She was nervous at first, but when Abominus showed no signs of hostility she was bold enough to approach his muzzle and pet him. The Predacon snorted, which made June flinch, until she realized he was just laughing at being tickled by her soft touch.

"Well, I'm glad this is going well so far," Jack commented as June continued to pet the relaxed mechanical dragon.

"Abominus, you are doing very well. I am pleased, soldier," Ultra Magnus commended his charge with his typical clipped formal manner of speech.

"Thank you, Father," Abominus replied respectfully, and June smiled at hearing the large beast-former speak.

"Ultra Magnus said you were getting better at talking," June told Abominus, "I see he wasn't lying. So, how old are you Abominus?"

Abominus tilted his large helm to the side to replicate a shrugging motion since it was too hard to shrug when he was coiled up and relaxing. Just then Ratchet showed up with a scanner to check Abominus' vitals again, and the Predacon moaned in displeasure.

" _Ratchet_?" Abominus whined, asking why the medic was there again.

"Now Abominus, I need to do this regularly," Ratchet replied; leaving no room for argument, "With all the scrap you eat I have to make sure you aren't damaging your system."

"Hungry," Abominus whimpered pleadingly.

"You can have some energon when I'm finished with your scans," Ratchet replied without looking up at the big yellow optics that were trying to sway him.

"Miko?" Abominus asked.

"She isn't here today," Jack replied, "She'll be back tomorrow though, so don't worry big guy."

"Jack?" Abominus addressed the boy.

"Yes, Abominus?"

"Jack transform?" Abominus asked.

"No, I can't," Jack replied, but then suddenly realized why the Predacon was asking, "Hey, don't worry so much. You'll transform when you're ready, right Ultra Magnus?"

Ultra Magnus just glared down at Jack expectantly.

"Um, _sir_?" Jack added, realizing why Ultra Magnus wasn't speaking.

"I don't know," Ultra Magnus replied honestly, "Abominus is still young. We don't know at what point a Predacon learns to transform. We know it will happen someday, but we are unsure of when that day will be. Just be patient with yourself, Abominus. You won't remain a mono-former forever."

"Why Abominus no transform?" Abominus asked pitifully.

"I told you, it takes time," Ultra Magnus replied patiently, "Transformation is a reflex. It will unlock when your body is ready. There is nothing we can do to rush the process along."

"Look like Father?" Abominus asked, and it took a moment before Ultra Magnus understood what the Predacon was asking.

"No, you will not look like me," Ultra Magnus replied bluntly, "I am a semi-former. You are a beast-former. Your body will be taller than mine and have different contours. That being said, you will be bipedal just as we are."

"Finished," Ratchet suddenly announced as he put away his scanner, "There are a lot of toxins in Abominus' body from all the random objects he has consumed, but his body seems to have developed a special tank acid to counteract the impurities. This is truly fascinating. My guess is that Abominus was meant to be a carrion beast-former."

"You mean like a vulture?" June asked.

"I'm not familiar with the word," Ratchet replied, "I don't know how many types of Predacons there were, but Abominus' subspecies seems designed to eat leftover metallic bodies and anything else considered a potential hazard to life forms other than himself."

Abominus was confused again. He had trouble understanding most of what Ratchet said. Ultra Magnus, however, understood perfectly. It would explain why Abominus wanted to eat things like chairs and vehicles. It was an instinct for Abominus to eat something if it looked like a dead Cybertronian life form.

"Thank you, Ratchet," Ultra Magnus replied, "I appreciate this information. Hopefully it will be helpful in Abominus' training."

"Father?" Abominus interrupted before Ratchet could reply, "Hungry."

"Of course, soldier," Ultra Magnus nodded, "I'll get you some energon...and an empty file cabinet from one of the other hangars."

Abominus smiled, showing off rows of large metallic teeth. June took a couple steps back, still a little unnerved by how vicious the dragon-former could look. Abominus' mannerisms made him cute, but his large frame, jagged spikes, and numerous thin clawed legs made him look both creepy and formidable. Jack saw his mother's reaction and went to stand near her to reassure her everything was alright. Jack likewise understood how terrifying it was to be on the receiving end of Abominus' bad side, but he wasn't actually afraid of the Predacon. He knew Abominus meant well.

A few minutes later Ultra Magnus came back with energon and a metal beam for the Predacon to eat. Abominus took his treats gratefully and refueled with less reckless abandon than usual. He noticed that Ultra Magnus didn't like him scarfing his food down like that, so Abominus made an effort to be more refined for the sake of his father's honor.

Optimus entered the room while Abominus was eating, and Ultra Magnus saw that Prime looked concerned. He was sure he knew what this was about. With the recent Decepticon activity, it was only a matter of time.

"Bumblebee has returned from his scouting mission in the Arctic," Optimus informed Ultra Magnus, "The Decepticons are attempting to build something. Apparently Shockwave has a new laboratory in the North Pole. Whatever their mission, we know it will spell danger for our allies. We must stop them immediately."

"Of course, Prime. I'm ready when you are," Ultra Magnus replied without hesitation.

"You'll be careful, right?" June asked.

"Of course, Mr. Darby," Optimus nodded respectfully, "I'm sure you and Jack will be fine here with Ratchet."

"Hrmph," Ratchet grunted irritably, though it was mostly for show.

"Father?" Abominus spoke up, "What is?"

"We are going on a mission," Ultra Magnus replied, but it was clear Abominus still didn't understand, "We are going through the ground bridge, soldier. You need to stay here with Ratchet. I'll be home soon."

"Ratchet? _No_!" Abominus roared petulantly, "Father!"

"Stay here, Abominus! That's an order!" Ultra Magnus replied sternly, "You're not combat ready yet. Now, I have to go. Stay here until I get back."

With those words Ultra Magnus turned his back on the Predacon and walked toward the ground bridge with Optimus, Arcee, Bumblebee, Bulkhead, Smokescreen, and Wheeljack. Abominus let out a longsuffering pout at seeing he really would be stuck with only the organic pack members and Ratchet, the bringer of needles and scrapes. No, that was not acceptable. Abominus was not going to loaf around and be useless in his own pack. He was going to go to...wherever they were going.

Ratchet entered the coordinates into the ground bridge, and one by one the Autobots started walking through. Abominus waited until the very last pack member, Bulkhead, walked through the bridge. Just as Ratchet was about to turn it off Abominus leapt to his feet and skittered across the floor. He opened his wings and thrust himself into the portal, and all Ratchet could do was gasp as he saw the ground bridge deactivate right after their resident dragon monster had flown through.

* * *

The Autobots looked around the snowy tundra with trepidation, knowing that any moment they could be spotted by the Decepticons or worse, the Predacon. Just as they were walking away from the portal something large suddenly flew over them! They saw the unknown object fly into the snow and bury itself, and they were sure it was Shockwave's Predacon.

"Hurry, before it rights itself," Optimus ordered as he ushered his team toward Shockwave's fortress.

After the Autobots ran into the building, Abominus popped his huge head out of the snow and shook away the excess frost. He snorted cold water out of his nostrils and looked around to see nothing but empty coldness. Abominus had never used a ground bridge before, and had apparently overestimated the velocity he would need for a proper landing. He briefly wondered if he had flown to the other side of the world when he went too fast. He also wondered where his pack was.

"Scrap," Abominus had never had a use for that word, but he had one now, "Father..." He whined pitifully.

As Abominus froze his struts in the snow feeling sorry for himself, he suddenly became aware that there was a shadow flying overhead of him. Youthful curiosity piqued, be looked up to see a large flying...thing. He didn't know what it was, but it looked alive.

Suddenly the flier shot straight down, and Abominus wasn't sure what to do. He was supposed to protect his pack, but at the same time he might get in trouble if they found out he followed them. Choosing life, he ducked his helm back under the snow with only his optics poking through the mound to see what happened.

Predaking meanwhile had flown down and transformed into robot mode after seeing the Autobots' ground bridge to their location. Oh, how he was looking forward to crushing the skull of the ones that had taken away the future of his race. The others had gone inside, but he knew he saw one of them crash into the snow. Ah, _there_ it was...

"I know you're in there, coward!" Predaking bellowed at whoever was under that mound, "Show yourself, and face me!"

Nothing happened. Predaking didn't understand. He knew Megatron described the Autobots as devious and cowardly, but he didn't expect them to try to hide like guilty sparklings. This was pathetic, and it only made Predaking's anger worse.

"I said _fight me,_ you worthless piece of slag!" Predaking roared furiously.

Abominus had never seen anyone so intimidating before. This one was Cybertronian like most of his pack, but this one was tall, broad, and had horns on his helm. There was something savage about this being that was very different from his pack. Abominus knew one thing though, this guy was a clear threat and it was Abominus' job to protect his family.

Predaking smirked when he saw the mound begin to shift. Soon he would have his revenge. If it was the Prime it would be all the sweeter. Predaking's face plate fell in shock however when he saw what popped out of the snow.

It was a Predacon! A large, imposing, beastly Predacon. Someone like him, and yet not like him. It was the first real glimpse into the past that Predaking had ever seen. Finally he wasn't alone. He wondered where it came from, how old it was, and what it thought of him. These thoughts went out the window however when the new Predacon body slammed him into the snow!

"Wait!" Predaking hollered, but it fell on deaf audials as the large snaking creature tried to fit Predaking's helm into its mouth.

Predaking put his hands on the gaping maw and struggled to keep it away from his helm. Clearly this new Predacon was strong, but also undisciplined. Predaking had been trained in combat by Shockwave and knew that one should never leave themselves open for attack. He saw an opportunity when the new one's long body draped on top of Predaking. Predaking jabbed his feet into the tender underbelly, and the new Predacon howled in pain.

"Now, will you stop attacking me and _listen_!?" Predaking barked at his opponent, "I do not intend to harm you. I am Predaking, a Predacon just like you. We are brothers, the last of our kind. What is your designation?"

Abominus just looked at Predaking with distrust and pain like a puppy that had been kicked by a stranger, which wasn't far from the truth.

"Come now, you can talk to me. I am your friend," Predaking insisted.

"Cold," Abominus complained.

"Um, yes, it is cold," Predaking replied awkwardly, "Actually, we should probably go inside. Predacons don't function well in frigid temperatures."

That was when Abominus remembered. The pack was inside. This alleged Predacon had threatened him, and it was clear he would continue to threaten not only him but also his family. No way was Abominus going to let that happen.

Before Predaking registered what was going on, Abominus whipped his entire body around and slammed his weighty tail into Predaking, knocking him over!

"What are you doing!?" Predaking shouted uncomprehendingly.

Abominus didn't reply however as his sides lit up with yellow indicator lights when he forced heat and fuel from his body. He blew a cloud of fire on the older Predacon, but it didn't hurt Predaking as much as it would other creatures since he was built to take it. If anything it helped drive away the cold.

Predaking, realizing he would have to dominate the new Predacon in a fight to earn its respect, transformed into his beast mode and bit Abominus in the jaw. Abominus let out a roaring yelp and back away a few meters on his tiny sharp legs. Predaking didn't let up however as he used a tail whip of his own to force the other Predacon back further. Abominus got mad then, and he bit Predaking's front leg. Since Abominus's head was much larger than Predaking's he was able to fit the entire leg in his mouth. Predaking bit at the head until Abominus let go, but the deep punctures meant Predaking was losing energon.

/This is Shockwave,/ Shockwave suddenly spoke into Predaking's comm, /Requesting pickup./

Predaking was now torn. He knew if he ran away the other Predacon would think he'd won the fight. That could lose Predaking the respect of the only other member of his kind. On the other servo he knew that Shockwave wouldn't call unless it was important.

Choosing his master over the new Predacon for this moment, Predaking flew away and went toward the building to get Shockwave.

"No!" Abominus cried out; knowing his pack was probably still inside.

Abominus couldn't let that other Predacon kill his pack. He had to stop him!

Abominus flew toward where Predaking went, but the cold was slowing down his flight. He wasn't used to expending so much energy, let alone using up so much fire during an arctic winter. Nonetheless, Abominus pushed himself to go further.

When he made it to the roof Abominus sat down next to the hole and panted in exhaustion and cold. He could see his breath, which was kind of cool, but it was still too cold for the beast-former. When Abominus looked down he saw Shockwave riding the Predacon and both of them shooting and breathing fire on the Autobots. He knew it! His pack was in danger.

Abominus tried to get up to help his pack, but the cold was slowing him down. He had many scratches on him, and some were leaking energon. That made it more difficult to move. He could see his father and the others shooting at the older Predacon and the purple mech. The purple mech was creepy looking, though Abominus didn't know why he felt that way. He just did.

A few minutes later a ground bridge swallowed up Predaking and the purple stranger, leaving the Autobots alone to lick their wounds. Abominus didn't want to be left behind, but he could no longer fly due to ice crystals forming on his wings, so he pushed himself and allowed himself to fall down the hole in the roof.

Abominus landed on his side and whimpered in pain, and the Autobots all stared at him in shock.

"Soldier! What are you doing here? Explain yourself," Ultra Magnus demanded of the fallen Predacon.

Abominus didn't know what to say or how to say it, so he just keened softly and hoped his pack didn't abandon him. He was sure they wouldn't, but just in case he wanted to convey that he was sorry in the only way he knew how. His bright yellow optics looked up at Ultra Magnus contritely, and he huddled his body as tightly as he could to drive away the paralyzing cold.

"Abominus, did you come through the ground bridge?" Ultra Magnus asked sternly.

"Yes, Father," Abominus replied softly, "Help you. Bad pack."

"Those were Decepticons," Ultra Magnus explained to the beastly sparkling, "You are not yet prepared to fight them, however you will one day be expected to do battle with our enemies just as we do. You will likely also have to fight the other Predacon. Do you think you can handle that when the time comes, soldier?"

"Yes, Father," Abominus vowed, pleased that he would be given another chance.

A minute later Ratchet sent them a ground bridge, and Optimus and Bulkhead worked together to carry the freezing Predacon through the portal. Ultra Magnus would have assisted them, but he feared his clawed servo would pierce the chilled Predacon's brittle armor.

When they reached the other side of the ground bridge Ultra Magnus looked down at the disfigured servo Ratchet had made him. He had felt so debilitated by losing that servo in the fight with Predaking. He realized though that fighting that Predacon and losing that servo had been the events that had to happen in order to meet and adopt Abominus. When Ultra Magnus looked at it in that light, he felt that the sacrifice of one appendage had been worth the new family he had gained.


	6. A Threatening Presence

_Author's Notes: Yay! I didn't wait a million years to update this fic! For some reason I was in the mood to write Predacons again, and fortunately that means more "Young Predator". I admit it's a slow burn to the big moments, but hopefully it'll be worth it. This fic has been really popular with you guys, and I just want to say thank you. Your views and kind words encourage me to continue on with this story :)_

* * *

Chapter 6

A Threatening Presence

Shockwave and Knockout were in the medbay working out the formula for synthetic energon, though to say they were making progress would be an overstatement. The formula was still incomplete, and after careful deduction and testing Shockwave had concluded that their missing ingredient was either not aboard the Nemesis or else was something they had overlooked.

This project was of extreme importance not only to the Decepticons aboard this warship but also to the future of the Cybertronian race. Shockwave was aware of the advantages to having a planet of their own again. Once again Cybertronians could be seen not as a race that brought doom to other planets, but rather as a proud species that had used science and logic to bring themselves back from the brink of extinction. Speaking of extinction...

Predaking lumbered forth into the medbay in his robot mode, truly a proud looking mech despite his youth and savagery. Knockout yelped and went around the counter to put it between himself and the Predacon, still fearful of the beast-former.

"Shockwave, I have wonderful news," Predaking practically purred, "I know you said I should not bother you when you're working, but it's been hours and I simply cannot contain myself anymore."

"Your interruption is acceptable," Shockwave replied stoically, "We have reached an impasse in our research, and will not be able to continue further at this time. What do you wish to tell me?"

"When we fought the Autobots earlier, I found another Predacon in the snow," Predaking beamed at his own news.

"We don't need more fossils," Knockout harrumphed, "We don't have the means to bring them to life anymore without Shockwave's off-site laboratory anyway."

"No, no, I am not referring to fossils," Predaking quickly replied, ignoring Knockout's attitude, "I saw a real life Predacon! It was longer than I am, but not quite as tall in beast mode. I have yet to see its robot mode, but you should have seen it fight! It was a fearsome warrior. I must admit though, it seemed rather young and not very bright. Oh well. Any Predacon is a good Predacon in my opinion."

"You are certain this creature was a Predacon?" Shockwave asked for clarification.

"There was nothing else it could be," Predaking replied confidently, "It looked like a Predacon, smelled like a Predacon, and even breathed fire like a Predacon. It was indeed my brother, a member of my own kind. We must locate it again! When do you think it will be wisest to approach Lord Megatron about retrieving the new Predacon? I don't wish to disturb him when he is conducting important business."

"I will confer with Lord Megatron on your behalf," Shockwave replied, "In the meantime I suggest you refuel. Cold temperatures force you to use more energon than what is advisable."

"Good idea, sir," Predaking nodded, "Let me know as soon as I am cleared to leave. I cannot wait to find him once again and bring him back to the Nemesis."

With those words Predaking left the room, his steps lighter than they had been in a while. Shockwave waited for Predaking's spark signature to be out of range, and then turned back to Knockout.

"We must contact Lord Megatron," Shockwave said gravely.

"Seriously? We're going to ask to locate _another_ one of those heavy-handed killing machines?" Knockout asked skeptically.

"Of course not," Shockwave replied, much to Knockout's surprise, "However, Megatron must be informed of the new Predacon's existence. If Predaking finds it, then that would be two potential threats to the Decepticon cause and Megatron's rule. We must find a way to destroy the new threat before Predaking convinces it to join him."

" _Right_ ," Knockout drawled, though it was clear he was still unsure, "And if Predaking finds out about this?"

"If Predaking finds out, he will terminate us," Shockwave replied bluntly, "That is why we must use the utmost discretion."

Knockout nodded, but then when Shockwave turned away from him Knockout gulped and shivered nervously. He didn't want to appear weak in front of such an intimidating officer, but Knockout couldn't help the way he felt. After all, destroying an ancient beast with the powers of flight, fire, and nigh invulnerability was no easy task. At least Predaking was on their side for the time being. A Predacon with no allegiance to the Deception cause however frightened Knockout to his very core.

* * *

Ultra Magnus had been on the other side of the military compound discussing strategy with William Fowler and the other officials involved in fighting the Decepticons. He expected to return to find Wheeljack, Bulkhead, and Miko watching Abominus while everything ran smoothly. Perhaps it was his own fault for expecting that.

Before Ultra Magnus even made it to Hangar E he could hear loud blaring guitar music. He hated Miko's taste in music, but he tried to be civil about it. When he made it inside however, he had to wipe his face plate with his hand to make the stress go away.

Miko was playing her guitar (badly), Bulkhead was riding on top of Abominus, and Wheeljack and Abominus were dancing (also badly). It reminded Ultra Magnus of when he first took command of his unit and the Wreckers would regularly get overcharged on high grade and act like idiots. Of course due to the energon shortage this could not be high-grade-induced stupidity, so Ultra Magnus had to assume they actually were just morons.

" _Ahem_!" Ultra Magnus cleared his throat to get their attention, but only Abominus heard him.

Abominus' tiny pedes stopped dancing and he involuntarily bucked; forcing Bulkhead off. Bulkhead crashed into Wheeljack, and then they both scrambled to their pedes to stand straight for inspection. Miko of course kept playing; oblivious to Ultra Magnus' presence. Bulkhead turned off her amp, and only then did she figure out what was going on.

"Huh? Oh, hey Ultra Magnus!" Miko waved up at him; unconcerned that he looked thoroughly annoyed.

"What can we do for you, sir?" Bulkhead asked uncomfortably; knowing they were supposed to be training Abominus.

Ultra Magnus just sighed at first, not really sure how to handle something that wasn't technically an infraction but that might corrupt his Predacon into liking thrash metal. The last thing he wanted was to have to listen to _that_ for the next 5,000 years or so. Then he remembered why he was there...

"Bulkhead, Abominus, Agent Fowler would like to debrief you regarding your encounter with Predaking yesterday," Ultra Magnus told him, "Any new information we can glean from your experience might help us in our next battle."

"Sorry, I got patrol duty in a few minutes, sir," Bulkhead replied apologetically, "Wheeljack can take Abominus though."

Abominus just tilted his head to one side, looking confused by that long stream of words that came out of Ultra Magnus.

"Did you understand anything I said, soldier?" Ultra Magnus asked longsufferingly when he noticed the Predacon's befuddlement.

"Pred-a-king," Abominus said the word as if he were tasting it, "Predaking, cold."

"Save it for when you talk with Agent Fowler," Ultra Magnus ordered, "I need to run drills with Optimus Prime, so Wheeljack will take you to your debriefing."

"Sounds like a plan," Wheeljack replied with a smirk, "Hey Abominus, after we're done you wanna fly for a while? It might be fun to actually feel the wind in my face. Plus you get flight experience."

"Oh cool! Can I go too?" Miko asked eagerly.

"No one is flying away from the base," Ultra Magnus warned sternly.

" _Aww_ ," Miko whined.

"Father," Abominus spoke hesitantly, trying to figure out how to form the words, "Predaking...Hurt you?"

"Excuse me, soldier?" Ultra Magnus replied, not knowing what Abominus meant.

"Servo," Abominus pointed to Magnus' claw, "Smell. Hurt. Predaking?"

Ultra Magnus looked down at his claw, a poor imitation of what a servo should be. He looked back up at Abominus, and the young Predacon's face was filled with concern. Ultra Magnus didn't know how he smelled it, but...

"Yes, Predaking crushed my old servo," Ultra Magnus replied with as little emotion as he could despite the loss, "It was during a battle. Predaking almost killed Wheeljack and myself. Optimus Prime saved our lives."

Abominus didn't know how to express what he felt, but he remembered seeing that flattened servo. He remembered sniffing it, and using it to find his pack. So, it had been _Predaking_ that had attacked his pack and forced them away from him. That beast-former, so much like Abominus and yet so different, must surely have been the greatest enemy his pack had ever faced. Why else would they abandon him before he was even born? They must have been forced.

Wheeljack motioned for Abominus to follow him to the debriefing, and Abominus loyally followed him without rushing away like he used to do. The organic others were fragile, so Abominus knew he had to be careful. Fowler was a member of his pack, so he especially needed to be careful not to harm him. With these thoughts in mind, the Predacon sparkling made sure his legs skittered carefully and his underbelly was raised above the ground at all times.

...

Meanwhile Agent Fowler was in the meeting room with General Bryce going over the Predaking incident. Naturally the general had a difficult time believing Fowler's account. Aliens being on earth were hard enough for the older man's mind to deal with, but adding dragons into the mix just made the whole thing sound like a fairytale.

"Look, the Autobots will be here shortly to give you their accounts of the battle!" Fowler said loudly; tired of this conversation already, "Maybe then you'll believe what I'm telling you."

"Right, you're telling me that now the Decepticons and Autobots are fighting each other with indestructible dragons," Bryce replied wryly, "You realize this sounds less like an international threat and more like an episode of Game of Thrones."

Fowler groaned and held his head in his hand, not knowing what more to do to convince this guy. It wasn't like the 'Bots had time to take pictures while they were scrambling for their lives. After all, hadn't the Autobots proven themselves honest and trustworthy by now?

Suddenly there was a rapping on the side of the building, and Wheeljack's face peered through the window.

"Knock knock," Wheeljack quipped lightly, "Hey, Fowler."

"Hey, Wheeljack," Fowler greeted in return, with Bryce shifting nervously under the giant's scrutiny.

"The others were too busy to come by for the debriefing," Wheeljack explained, "Don't worry though, I brought our star witness."

"You weren't there," Fowler pointed out.

"No, but Bom Bom was," Wheeljack replied with a toothy grin.

"Bom Bom?" Fowler asked, but then realization hit, "Oh no...You brought it here!? That thing can't even talk! What's the point?"

"What thing? Who is Bom Bom?" Bryce asked demandingly.

"Sure he can, just not very well," Wheeljack replied, ignoring Bryce, "Uh, you guys'll have to come outside though. Abominus can't fit through the door for, uh, obvious reasons."

"Abominus?" Bryce squeaked, "Is that a Decepticon name? Did they capture a prisoner?"

"No General, it's, uh, just come outside with me. You'll see," Fowler shook his head, knowing he was in for an exhausting debriefing with a Predacon being the main witness.

The two men stepped outside, and Wheeljack stepped from the side of the building toward them. He wasn't alone however, and General Bryce craned his neck to look into the bright yellow gaze of the largest Cybertronian he had seen to date.

"Is that a...a..." Bryce gawked; shocked by the fearsome appearance of the Predacon.

"That's a Predacon, known to humanity as a dragon," Fowler explained calmly, though inside he was dancing while yelling 'I told you so', "General Bryce, this is Abominus. Abominus, this is General Bryce. He's one of ours. Don't eat him."

"Eat!?" Bryce shrieked and whipped his head around to look at Fowler.

"Jeep?" Abominus asked while pointing to General Bryce's vehicle.

"Um...What about my jeep?" Bryce asked timidly.

"No, Abominus. You can't eat that either," Fowler admonished.

Abominus snorted and bent his helm down in disappointment; giving the general a close-up look at his large silver teeth.

"Now Abominus, tell me exactly what happened in the Arctic," Fowler ordered, but Abominus just cocked his helm to the side in confusion.

"Tell him about your fight with Predaking, Bom Bom," Wheeljack coaxed.

"Predaking bad..." Abominus growled in subdued rage.

"It can talk!" Bryce exclaimed in surprise.

"Predaking attack," Abominus continued; not noticing the general and focusing on Fowler, "Attack Father."

"Then what happened?" Fowler asked, not realizing Abominus wasn't talking about the Arctic anymore.

"Everything smell bad. Dead," Abominus continued; lost in his memories, "Hurt. Alone. Wet. Predaking...Predaking...kill."

"Whoa, whoa, wait!" Wheeljack stopped him, and Abominus shook himself out of his reverie, "Nobody died on this mission."

"Predaking kill. Stole Father's servo," Abominus insisted, "I will kill Predaking. Must protect pack. Must...for Father."

Wheeljack's optics went wide as he realized what Abominus was referring to. This was about Shockwave's lab, and the unborn Predacons that had been killed there. Abominus _remembered_. He took Ultra Magnus's story to spark, and he thought that Predaking had killed the other Predacons. Wheeljack felt horrible, because he knew that he and Ultra Magnus were the ones that did that, not Predaking.

Still, Wheeljack had to admit to himself that he would do it all again. If Megatron got a hold of that kind of power, then all sentient life in the galaxy would be at risk. It was sacrificing a few lives to save trillions or even more. Except, one of those lives was Abominus, their newest Wrecker, their sparkling, Wheeljack's buddy. Could he really lie to Abominus about this? If he did he would be no better than Megatron manipulating the other Predacon for his own gain. But if he didn't, Abominus would probably kill them. He was too young to understand...

"So, about the Arctic battle," Fowler brought both Abominus and Wheeljack back to the present, "What can you recall about Predaking's attack strategy and defenses?"

Abominus wasn't sure what exactly Fowler had said, but he mentioned Predaking. He must want to know more about Predaking.

"Predaking fly," Abominus related, "Predaking have fire. Predaking attack. Hit. Hurt. Called me...Predacon. Called Predaking Predacon too. We not the same...Are we?"

"No," Wheeljack said vehemently despite his internal struggle, "You're nothing like him. You have the spark of a Wrecker. You're braver than him, kinder than him, and stronger than him. I'd rather have you on my team than a hundred Predakings. You hear me, Bom Bom?"

Abominus nodded curtly, the way Ultra Magnus had taught him to do. Wheeljack then rubbed his servo against Abominus's muzzle playfully, and the Predacon shook his helm back and forth in childish delight. Wheeljack didn't know when he would have the spark to tell Abominus the truth, but he knew for right now he just wanted the sparkling to have as supportive a childhood as the Autobots could give him.

* * *

Later that night, the three kids sat on the couch and looked through a selection of movies on the TV to see what they wanted to watch. Most of the Autobots were either on patrol or gathering energon, but Ratchet had stayed behind to work in the medbay and Abominus had his helm resting lazily on the catwalk so he could watch TV with the humans.

"Ooh, how about this one? It's a classic!" Miko declared excitedly.

"Jurassic Park?" Jack asked; unimpressed.

"Yeah dude, it still holds up," Miko defended her choice, "Besides, Raf already whined about not wanting to watch Full Metal Jacket."

"It's rated R," Raf replied defensively, "My mom would kill me if I woke up with a nightmare or something because I didn't listen to her about no R rated movies."

"See? So Jurassic Park it is!" Miko proclaimed as she held the remote aloft like King Arthur's sword.

"Next time I get the remote," Jack grumbled.

For the next few minutes everything went well. The movie played, the children watched, and Abominus yawned a couple times while trying and failing to follow all the science talk in the movie.

Jack didn't really feel comfortable watching after about half the movie had finished playing, but he couldn't ask them to stop when the other two kids were still engrossed in the action. Jack however couldn't help but apply the situation to Abominus. Jurassic Park was about scientists bringing an extinct species of monsters back to life only to have their creations become too powerful and try to kill everyone and everything in their path. How could the boy think of anything other than Shockwave building the Predacons and then unleashing their might on the world? Then again, Shockwave had been thwarted in his plans before it could get out of hand, but there were still two, and one was watching this movie with them.

When the credits finally rolled Miko jumped off the couch and started fist pumping in the air.

"Whoohoo! That was _awesome_!" Miko exclaimed as she quickly turned back to the boys, "My favorite part was the T-Rex chasing the jeep, oh, and that one guy falling over. That was hilarious! Oh, oh, oh! And the velociraptors hunting down the kids. That was intense!"

"Uh huh," Jack replied warily, and then turned back to where the Predacon was still calmly staring at them, "And, uh, what did you think, Abominus?"

"Dino-sores stupid," Abominus replied; surprising everyone.

"So? A monster doesn't have to be smart to be scary," Miko scoffed.

"Wait, what do you mean stupid?" Jack asked curiously.

"Big Dino-sore see jeep with little ones. Little ones abandon jeep. Dino-sore Chase little ones. Dino-sore stupid. Should eat jeep," Abominus explained, "Movie make me hungry."

"Aww, don't worry Bom Bom. We'll find you some food," Miko assured him.

"Okay. Dino-sores still stupid," Abominus replied with a sly grin.

"It doesn't matter," Miko insisted, "They looked smart enough. Besides, movie monsters don't need to be smart anyway. They just need to be big and strong with sharp teeth and claws and a taste for human flesh and practically no way to kill them!"

"Miko really needs to lay off the caffeine," Raf whispered to Jack, who nodded in agreement as they all walked down the stairs.

"So, big is scary?" Abominus asked.

"Yep," Miko replied airily as she walked quickly toward the storage rooms.

"And sharp is scary?" Abominus continued.

"Oh yeah, for sure," Miko nodded energetically.

"And scary is...good?" Abominus asked in confusion.

"Yeah, in the movies," Miko shrugged, not really connecting the dots on why Abominus was asking.

Jack was nervous as he and Raf followed the beast and Miko. She seemed so nonchalant about everything, but Jack feared that Abominus could want to attack humans the way the dinosaurs did in the movie.

"Oh," Abominus replied, and seemed to ponder something. After a few tense seconds Abominus said "I wanna be in movies."

"Huh?" Jack asked dumbly; not expecting that one at all.

"Oh man, you'd be great in movies, Bom Bom!" Miko replied encouragingly, "I can see it now: your name all over the internet, with crowds of fans cheering you on as you light up the silver screen! Maybe you could even blow up Paris or New York."

"Miko!" Jack shouted; finally having enough, "Let's just focus on feeding him, okay?"

"Forget him," Miko said dismissively, and then whispered to Abominus, "He never wanted to leave Jasper."

Jack just rolled his eyes, hearing her comment about him. The Autobots wanted the Predacon to grow up to be a righteous protector of earth, but Jack knew if Miko had her way he'd be a roaring fire breathing film prop.


End file.
